Co-current and counter-current modes for a membrane dual-type methanol reactor

In this study, a dynamic model for a membrane dual-type methanol reactor was developed with catalyst deactivation. This reactor is a shell and tube type where the first reactor is cooled with cooling water and the second reactor is cooled with feed synthesis gas. In this reactor system, the wall of the tubes in the gas-cooled reactor is covered with a palladium-silver membrane, which is only permeable to hydrogen. Hydrogen can penetrate from feed synthesis gas into the reaction side due to the hydrogen partial pressure driving force. Hydrogen permeation through membrane leads to shift the reaction towards the product side according to the thermodynamic equilibrium. Moreover, the performance of reactor has been investigated when reaction gas side and feed gas side streams are continuously either co-current and or counter-current. Comparison between co and counter-current mode in terms of temperature, activity, methanol production rate as well as permeation rate of hydrogen through membrane shows that the reactor in co-current configuration operates with lower conversion and also lower permeation rate of hydrogen but with longer catalyst life time in comparison with counter-current configuration.

کلیدواژه ها:

Membrane dual-type methanol reactor ، Dynamic simulation ، Co-current mode ، Counter-current mode